The New York Yankees are looking to end their World Series drought and remain firmly in the postseason race despite injuries to key players and roster gaps. They currently hold the top AL Wild Card spot, but their biggest offensive force, reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, remains sidelined, with no clear timetable for his return this season. General manager Brian Cashman will probably look to address those shortcomings at the trade deadline. However, as he prepares to reshape the roster, a Yankees broadcaster has warned that those efforts could ultimately be in vain.

“I would say that if they knew, and I don’t think they do, but if they knew that Judge wasn’t coming back, I don’t think I would make any move because I don’t think they can win without a healthy Aaron Judge,” Michael Kay said on ESPN Podcasts with Buster Olney.

The Yankees’ offense is just scraping by without Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Cody Bellinger on the team. It was evident as they won 2-0 against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Amed Rosario and Spencer Jones’ solo shots capped the team’s offense, as the Yankees managed just 4 hits throughout the game.

One can say that the Yankees’ pitching has been their saving grace lately, which includes a rotation built with Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, and Gerrit Cole. On Friday, Will Warren tossed 6.2 scoreless innings while David Bednar secured the save.

If you look at it, though, the Yankees can have a deep postseason run at most with their current roster. It is not enough to win the World Series, especially if the Los Angeles Dodgers come armed with Tarik Skubal.

Hence, the Yankees need offensive help while securing a right-handed hitting catcher, bullpen arms, and outfield reinforcements. Cashman needs to pick and choose wisely before 6 pm ET Monday.

“I don’t want to be in Brian’s shoes these next five days, Buster, because talk about threading a needle,” Kay added. “You don’t know when Judge is getting back, you don’t know when Bellinger’s getting back. You don’t know when Stanton’s getting back. And although they insist that all three are going to get back, there are no guarantees in life.”

On top of Judge’s injury, Bellinger’s hamstring strain, and Stanton’s right calf strain, the Yankees’ offense has suffered significantly. Their batting average has dropped to .232, ranking 27th in the league. The Yankees have not scored more than five runs since July 21, except once during their 9-5 win over the White Sox.

In June, Michael Kay had said that the Yankees cannot afford to lose Judge’s bat. In fact, as per StatMuse, the New York Yankees are hitting .220 without the 34-year-old this season.

Judge has been out of action for close to two months after suffering a stress fracture in his rib. Imaging conducted during the All-Star break showed signs of healing, but the Yankees captain was still not far enough along in his recovery to resume baseball activities. He was expected to undergo another round of evaluations with a specialist, but the Yankees have yet to determine when those follow-up scans will take place.

As of now, the franchise has to figure out how to keep its World Series hopes alive without him, at least for the time being.